This invention relates generally to passive cervical traction devices, and in particular to gravity-assisted occipital support and cervical stretching apparatus used during the administration of physical therapy.
Spinal cervical and thoracic disorders can result from trauma or from long-term life-style activities, or emotional stress. These conditions can cause cervical muscle tension/spasm, facet joint locking, ligament/capsule tightness and contracture, soft-tissue hypomobilities and arthritis. Conventional therapies include traction, manipulation, mobilization, therapeutic exercise, heat/cold therapy, ultra-sound and short-wave diathermy.
In one physical therapy treatment protocol, the patient rests in a semi-reclined position on a treatment table while cervical and thoracic flexion is applied manually by a physical therapist. During this procedure, the therapist's hands (the heels of his hands) engage the patient's occiput bilaterally, providing slight cervical/thoracic traction and stretch. The therapist rests his elbows in a slightly spread position on the treatment surface directly behind the patient's head. This technique has proven to be effective, but requires one-on-one attendance by a therapist. Additionally, it imposes a physical strain on the therapist, who is required to maintain his/her arms and hands in a spread apart, fixed position during the treatment session, which extends over a typical treatment period of five minutes.
Conventional traction devices can be categorized as clinical machines and home units. Typically, clinical machines are powered by electric, pneumatic or hydraulic means, and are used in the supine position. Home devices are used in either the supine or seated position (utilizing standard chairs found in the home such as a folding chair or kitchen chair) and are usually passive, usually relying on a suspended weight in one form or another.
Portable cervical traction devices have been developed as an aid to the therapist to provide for home treatment. These mechanical devices employ passive (gravity-assisted) supports for inducing a traction effect at the intervertebral joints (facet and/or disc) and stretching the patient's neck muscles, ligaments and other supporting tissues.
Conventional therapy devices include cervical traction machines which either require or avoid transmission of forces through the left and right temporomandibular joints (TMJ). One cervical traction machine utilizes a recliner chair with a head harness for achieving a desired degree of cervical or thoracic flexion while the patient is seated. The head harness used in most home traction kits require the transmission of force through the TMJ, which can be painful.
Other traction devices such as the Saunders cervical traction machine (U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,791) includes adjustable wedges which avoid force through the TMJ. The flexion angle of the neck can be adjusted from 15.degree.-25.degree. in the supine position. However, the Saunders home device cannot be adjusted to include thoracic flexion and is relatively expensive.
Presently, there is no conventional device or appliance that is as effective as the manual treatment provided by a trained professional. One reason for this is the ability of the trained professional to continuously modify and adjust the manually applied stretch and traction force in response to feedback information received from the patient as the therapy progresses. Nevertheless, a need exists for a passive device which can be used by the therapist as an adjunct to manual treatment protocols. Moreover, a need also exists for a portable apparatus that can be used safely and effectively by a patient at home on an unsupervised outpatient basis during self-administered therapy for the relief of pain and muscle spasm reduction.